Grant Hardy/Dailly

Gary Krenz, executive director of the University Bicentennial, speaks about his plans for the upcoming celebration as the guest speaker at the LSA Student 
Governement meeting in Mason Hall Wednesday.

3-News

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News 
Thursday, March 17, 2016 — 3A

Five new members 
selected for 
Michigan Society of 
Fellows

Five new members have been 

selected by the Michigan Society 
of Fellows to serve three-year 
appointments as postdoctoral 
scholars and assistant professors. 
The fellows will teach courses 
related to their departments 
and continue working on their 
research beginning next semester.

The new fellows include Aniket 

Aga from the School of Natural 
Resources and the Environment, 
Tierra Bills from the Department 
of Civil and Environmental 
Engineering and Kevin Ko from 
the Department of History. 
Zhiying Ma from the Department 
of Anthropology and Kelli Wood 
from the Department of the 
History of Art were also selected 
as fellows. 

The fellows are focusing 

on projects spanning from 
transportation systems to 
agriculture in different countries 
and mental health reform in China. 

Founded in 1970, the Michigan 

Society of Fellows has received 
grants from the Ford Foundation 
and Horace H. and Mary Rackham 
funds to provide financial support 
for those selected as fellows so 
they are able to continue their 
interdisciplinary work. 

Multiple fellows elected in 

previous years will continue their 
work as members of the Society 
of Fellows and include students 
from multiple disciplines at the 
University. 

Schlissel speaks 
at University 
Congressional 
Breakfast

University President Mark 

Schlissel went to Washington, D.C. 
on Wednesday to discuss his plans 
for academic excellence, diversity 
and making a public impact in 
research and education at the 
annual University of Michigan 
Congressional Breakfast. 

Schlissel also discussed the 

importance of the University Flint 
campus, especially with regard to 
the water crisis, according to the 
University press release. More than 
300 people were present at the 
event.

University alum Rep. Tom Price 

(R–Georgia) was the keynote 
speaker of the breakfast and 
spoke to the audience about how 
attending the University for both 
his bachelor’s and medical degrees 
changed his life and led to his 
successful career.

Airplane technology 
to be modeled after 
wings of birds

After receiving a $6 million 

grant from the Air Force Office 
of Scientific Research, an 
international team of researchers 
will create a high-tech bird model 
from which to later create airplane 
wing technology. 

The researchers, including 

those from the University 
aerospace engineering program 
and collaborators from around the 
country, Canada and the UK, will 
produce an analysis of bird flight 
and later apply this technology to 
aircrafts. The technology is meant 
to make planes faster and lighter 
than aircrafts currently in use. 

David Lentink, a professor 

at Stanford, decided to develop 
a system that would not harm 
small birds, and instead, would 
measure air pressure disturbances 
surrounding the bird. The system 
will allow the researchers to 
use their findings with the 
maneuverability and agility of a 
bird and apply it to materials that 
could alter an airplane wing’s 
shape to respond to environmental 
factors while in flight, according to 
the University press release. 

Engineers will focus on a 

variety of ways to morph wings for 
aircrafts and program computer 
controls to mimic neurons in a 
bird’s brain that instinctively 
collects airflow and pressure data.

 

—ALEXA ST. JOHN

NEWS BRIEFS

Those who ate red meat less 
than four times a week began 
their periods, on average, at 
the age of 12 years and eight 
months.

For fish, on the other hand, 

girls who consumed tuna or 
sardines at least once a week 
during their middle childhood 
years experienced menarche 
later than girls who consumed 
these fatty fish less than once a 
month.

Jansen noted that it cannot 

be 
said 
for 
sure whether 

environmental factors, such as 
higher availability of red meat 
in Bogota also contributed 
to the results. She noted that 
there also are no correlations 
between their findings and 
a generally earlier onset of 
puberty in Colombia compared 
to other countries.

However, this five month 

difference in age of first period 
ultimately has indications for 
both physical and behavioral 
health later in life, Jansen 
wrote.

“Earlier 
menarche 
has 

been related to higher risk 
of breast cancer in addition 
to 
other 
adverse 
health 

outcomes including obesity, 
type 2 diabetes, and all-cause 
mortality,” she wrote. “In the 
short term, an earlier age at 
menarche has been associated 
with 
earlier 
sexual 
debut, 

teen pregnancy, and abuse of 
alcohol and tobacco.”

Those 
physical 
health 

outcomes could be related to a 
number of factors, she added.

“We cannot say for sure what 

could explain the association, 
but it could be related to macro- 
or micronutrients present in 
red meat, substances fed to 
cattle, or components related 
to preservation or preparation 
of these meat sources,” Jansen 
wrote.

Sarah Ball, assistant dietetic 

internship 
director 
in 
the 

Department 
of 
Nutritional 

Sciences, 
echoed 
Jansen’s 

statement and said the way the 
cattle is raised can make a big 
difference in what humans end 
up consuming.

“At least in this country 

there’s 
a 
big 
difference 

between, or could potentially 
be a big difference between, 
your small ranching, grass-fed 
cattle and the meat we consume 
from that compared to your big, 
large industry-based grain-fed 
cattle production,” Ball said.

Ball 
said 
other 
factors 

besides red meat intake, such 
as body mass index, could 
also contribute to the time of 
puberty onset of young women. 
BMI can increase based on 
higher consumption rates of 
sugar-sweetened 
beverages 

and lower consumption rates of 
fruits and vegetables.

Ultimately, because this is 

only an observational study, 
earlier 
menarche 
cannot 

solely be attributed to higher 
red 
meat 
intake, 
Jansen 

wrote. Researchers suggested 
prepubescent girls should not 
necessarily limit their red meat 
intake to avoid menarche, but 
rather should consume red 
meat in moderation.

“We cannot conclude for 

sure that red meat intake causes 
early puberty from this study,” 
Villamor 
wrote. 
“Excessive 

red meat intake is probably 
not a good idea in general. It 
does not need to be completely 
abolished from the diet, but 
it can be eaten sparsely and 
replaced with other sources of 
animal protein, for example, 
fish.”

Though recommended diets 

change based on demographics 
and geographics, the general 
recommendation 
for 
the 

best diet for people living in 
the United States, including 
children in middle childhood 
years, is a varied diet as 
found in the Current Dietary 
Guidelines 
for 
Americans, 

according to Ball.

“It’s a (dietary) pattern that 

includes a variety of fruits and 
vegetables, whole fruits instead 
of juice, vegetables from a 
variety of different groups and 
different colors, whole grains, 
low-fat dairy and a variety of 
protein foods,” she said.”Really 
focusing on seafood and those 
lean meats — poultry, eggs, 
beans, nuts and seeds — and 
then healthy oils, with a limit 
on sugar-sweetened beverages 
and more processed products.”

MEAT
From Page 1A

resources 
CAPS 
currently 

has, because most of them fly 
under the radar,” Lee said. 
“We can only fund so many 
new programs, and we need 
to put up our resources at the 
forefront.”

The representatives also 

passed resolutions requesting 

that LSA officially recognizes 
the International Day for 
the Elimination of Racial 
Discrimination 
and 
the 

creation of a “Before I Die” 
wall for students to post their 
bucket list items in Angell 
Hall. 

In 
addition, 
a 

resolution 
advocating 
the 

implementation of a “Let’s 
Talk” CAPS on North Campus 
was proposed.

LSA 
sophomore 
Joey 

Hansel said one of CAPS’ 
focuses in the coming years 
should be on students in more 
isolated parts of campus.

“We need to help facilitate 

the 
conversation,” 
Hansel 

said. “It’s a sad truth, but 
CAPS is underfunded, and, as 
the LSA Student Government, 
we should focus on funding 
CAPS 
and 
helping 
these 

students.”

Meier, 
another 
sponsor 

of the resolution, said no 

matter where students live 
on campus, they should be 
afforded the same access to 
mental health resources.

“People 
should 
not 
be 

prevented from having access 
to the same resources as 
other students just because 
of where they were randomly 
assigned to live,” he said. “We 
need to get something there 
now, so they can get the help 
they need now. Not in a month 
or five years, but now.”

LSA
From Page 1A

A CSG resolution that aimed to 

support undocumented students 
by advocating for the extension of 
in-state tuition to undocumented 
students was an early topic of 
contention. LSA senior Keysha 
Wall, the Defend Affirmative 
Action 
Party 
presidential 

candidate, criticizing both Your 
Michigan and newMich for their 
response to it. In her opening 
remarks, Wall challenged her 
opponents to take a stronger 
stance on on the resolution, citing 
Your 
Michigan’s 
presidential 

candidates’ 
decision 
to 
vote 

against the resolution.

newMICH 
presidential 

candidate David Schafer, an 
LSA junior, agreed with Wall, 
charging that Hislop interrupted 
two women of color while 
debating the resolution. 

In 
response, 
Hislop 
said 

he supported the spirit of the 
resolution, but the content of 
it wasn’t well planned. He also 
said the two women involved in 
the conversation agreed with 
him and emphasized that he 
supported the message behind 

the resolution.

Beyond 
the 
resolution, 

candidates 
also 
sought 
to 

show how they were different 
as a party on a number of 
other fronts. In speaking to 
their 
platform 
during 
the 

presidential 
debate, 
Your 

Michigan heavily emphasized 
the tangibility of their goals and 
their interest in working with 
the University administration 
closely, criticizing what they 
called 
newMICH’s 
strategy 

of 
“demands.” 
In 
Schafer 

responded to those criticisms 
by calling Hislop’s emphasis on 
working with the administration 
rather than demanding changes 
an example of privilege, saying 
that minorities had a right to 
demand modifications to current 
policies.

The 
theme 
of 
showing 

difference continued in the vice 
presidential debate, most notably 
when candidates were asked if 
they considered the University to 
be “great,” referring to the slogan 
of GOP presidential candidate 
Donald Trump, “Make America 
Great Again.”

newMICH 
vice-presidential 

candidate 
Micah 
Griggs, 

an LSA junior, charged that 

Your Michigan had referred 
incorrectly to Black students in 
their platform.

“When first addressing Black 

students, they first called them 
intercity, then they called them 
urban and then finally called them 
underrepresented,” Griggs said.

She added that she thought 

Your Michigan’s platform was 
full of “condescending language,” 
calling it similar to an attitude 
she said the University presents 
that keeps many Black students 
from attending.

In response, Your Michigan 

vice-presidential candidate Cam 
Dotson, an LSA junior, defended 
his use of using “intercity” and 
“urban” as correct language 
he learned from his sociology 
classes.

The debate also touched on the 

presence of Greek life — which 
several candidates belong to — on 
campus.

Hislop 
referenced 
his 

leadership position in Greek life, 
saying he accepted it because he 
wanted to bring about change. 
He said he hopes to see safer 
measures for students, such as 
earlier dining hall hours and 
safer tailgates.

Wall said she believed that 

Greek 
life 
supports 
women 

in their time in college and 
provides sisterhood, but also 
said that the University needs to 
address sexual assault and rape 
on campus. Wall and Okorom 
both put heavy emphasis on the 
expulsion and outing of rapists on 
campus throughout the debate, 
stating the University had a 
history of covering up incidents.

After the debate, current CSG 

President Cooper Charlton, an 
LSA senior, said he believed that 
DAAP’s closing speech was most 
passionate.

During the remarks, Wall 

stated that CSG had previously 
let 
students 
be 
oppressed, 

citing DAAP’s experiences with 
protesting on campus.

“I was very moved by the 

passion, and that was something I 
really resonated with as a leader,” 
Charlton said.

He noted that the issues being 

discussed this year include an 
underlying distrust for CSG.

“I definitely think CSG has a 

lack of trust from student body 
right now,” Charlton said. “It’s 
something we’ve tried to fight 
this year, and unfortunately I 
don’t think we completed our 
goal.”

DEBATE
From Page 1A

ideation, coming out as gay, 
bullying and sexual or physical 
abuse, according to the comapny’s 
Chief Data Scientist Bob Filbin.

Depression, a common mental 

health 
issue, 
affects 
nearly 

14.8 million American adults, 
according to the Depression and 
Bipolar Support Alliance. Among 
youth, untreated depression is 
the number one risk for suicide. 
When someone texts theCrisis 
Text Line, they immediately 
receive an automated message 
asking about the type of crisis they 
are experiencing. Within a few 
minutes, a live and trained crisis 
counselor will begin responding 
to the texts to help the texter with 
their crisis.

The Crisis Text Line has not 

yet begun working with any 
researchers, as the first round of 
applications opened February 16 
and will close April 1. Following 
the close of the application, 
those at the Crisis Text Line will 
spend two months reviewing 
the project applications, and will 
release the data on June 1 to the 
first cohort of researchers. Filbin 
said the company’s data is crucial 
in promoting and encouraging 
research 
on 
personal 
crises 

because as the first of its kind, 
it’s able to reach a new group of 
individuals seeking help.

To date, the Crisis Text Line 

has exchanged 14.5 million text 

messages between texters and 
crisis counselors, making it the 
largest data set on crisis in the 
United States, Filbin said. The 
count increases by roughly one 
million messages per month. 

LSA sophomore Mary O’Brien, 

president 
of 
the 
University’s 

chapter of the National Alliance on 
Mental Illness — an organization 
which focuses on mental health 
advocacy on campus — said she 
thought services like these are 
an important resources because 
of the atmosphere surrounding 
mental illness.

“Especially in the competitive 

culture at U of M, many students 
don’t seek help because it’s easy 
to mistake symptoms of a mental 
illness 
for 
normal 
academic 

stress,” O’Brien said. “Without 
seeking help, the stress can 
snowball and make the problem 
worse. Crisis text lines, I think, 
are particularly effective because 
a lot of students name preferring 
to deal with their issues on their 
own and not having time as two 
major reasons for why they do not 
seek help. I think crisis text lines 
address both of these problems.”

O’Brien 
said 
she 
believes, 

especially in a technological 
age, crisis text lines are the best 
way for people in need to receive 
immediate help.

“Technology is becoming an 

increasingly important tool for 
reaching people in crisis,” O’Brien 
said. “Crisis text lines specifically 
succeed in reaching people who 
might not otherwise seek help for 

mental illness.”

“We think that this data, when 

shared with researchers that 
have been starved for access to 
this kind of data, is really going to 
allow the crisis space to increase 
its effectiveness as a whole in 
supporting people in crisis,” Filbin 
said.

The process behind allowing 

researchers to access the data, 
according to Filbin, includes 
an online application requiring 
approval 
from 
a 
college’s 

Institutional Review Board, as 
well as approval from the Crisis 
Text Line Data Ethics Committee.

Filbin said any research project 

that is accepted to use the data set 
has to reach four benchmarks: 
ethics, privacy, security and value.

Those who text the Crisis Text 

Line often expect to get help 
while simultaneously remaining 
anonymous. Because of this, 
Filbin said the service provides 
an electronic privacy policy at the 
start of each conversation and will 
assure anonymity when releasing 
the data for further research. 

“It’s an anonymous service, so 

when you text in we don’t require 
that you provide any demographic 
information or name,” Filbin 
said. “Our rule is, we only ask for 
information when it’s valuable to 
the texter.”

In extreme cases, however, 

Filbin said a texter’s address is 
requested to direct emergency 
services to their location.

The Crisis Text Line also 

operates through an enclave 

data system, meaning all of the 
data stays within their system. 
Researchers accepted to utilize the 
data will log in through a network 
through a secure data enclave. 
As an additional precaution, the 
service “scrubs” the conversations 
of any personally identifiable 
information that was shared 
by the texter prior to the data’s 
release to researchers.

So far, more than 100 research 

teams have expressed interest in 
gaining access to the data, and 
applications have exemplified a 
wide range of projects, Filbin said. 
For example, researchers from 
the United States Department 
of Transportation are interested 
in looking at how the data 
might be applicable in reducing 
railroad suicide. A team at the 
Kempe Center of the Children’s 
Hospital in Colorado is focusing 
on revealing better ways of 
identifying cases of child abuse, 
and researchers at the University 
of Utah are interested in the 
relationship between altitude and 
suicidal ideation.

Filbin said he looks forward 

to improving the quality of the 
Crisis Text Line service on an 
internal level, as well as improving 
the quality of crisis counseling 
nationwide through each research 
expert who gains access to the 
data.

“I think it’s definitely a unique 

data set that has a lot of potential 
to really make a difference for 
people in crisis,” Filbin said.

CRISIS
From Page 1A

